Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
by Caroline L'Amoure
Summary: :A re-write of previous fanfiction: Tamaki goes to search for his mother in France, leaving Haruhi with the Host Club back in Japan. Will their new fragile relationship withstand the parting, or will it just make it stronger? What will happen when a new danger suddenly arises, threatening Haruhi and the Club? Tamaki x Haruhi Rated M for dirty calls from Paris and insidious plots.
1. Chapter 1

**Alright everyone, this is a re-write of this story because... well the last one just plain stunk. This one will be much better, and much more... dirty. You've been warned :P This story is raunch-tastic.**

"Tamaki, why are we here?" Haruhi looked at the blond man walking in front of her, the dark hallways of the school sending shivers up her spine. Being at the school at night was… eerie. She knew they shouldn't be here, and Tamaki wouldn't tell her why he had dragged her along, instead going on one of his pointless rants he used when he didn't want to admit something.

"You'll see." He said in a sing song voice, looking over his shoulder at her and grinning knowingly.

Haruhi let out a low growl of frustration and looked out the window nervously as rain started to tink softly against the glass. Was it a storm? She couldn't help letting out a soft noise of fear and moving closer to Tamaki as they walked in the darkness.

"Don't worry, I checked the weather already. It's nothing but a little rain." Tamaki said reassuringly, looking back at her in concern. "Do you want to go back? I don't want you to be scared."

"N-no, I want to see what you brought me out here for, since… we're already this far." Haruhi said, her voice wavering slightly as she took a wary glance to the window.

Tamaki nodded and moved beside her, putting an arm around her shoulder comfortingly. "Alright, come on then. It's not much further."  
Haruhi looked around as they walked past the music room and into another hallway nearby, finally stopping in front of a pair of doors that were locked, a sign hung on the handle that said 'DO NOT ENTER' in Tamaki's writing.

He took his arm from her shoulder and looked down at her, his face flushed in embarrassment before he let out a long sigh to collect himself and opened the doors for her.

Haruhi looked inside to find a large mahogany desk with parchment, a quill and several types of traditional writing instruments across its polished top, drawers lining the side with a swivel chair in front of it. Lining the walls were bookshelves on every subject, ranging from history to cooking, biology even travel books.

"W-what is this?" Haruhi looked around with wide eyes at the décor in a traditional Victorian style, large cushioned couches beside one of the bookcases, and a ladder to reach the higher books.

"When we met, you said you were looking for a quiet place to study." Tamaki said, his voice much softer than his usual brazen yelling. "So… I made you one."

Haruhi looked up at him with wide eyes in shock, looking around the room again as her face flushed with emotion. "This is all for me?"

"Yes, if you want it." He said, looking for a moment uneasy whether she'd accept it or not.

"Of course!" Haruhi said in a hitched voice. She looked down at the ground as she tried to gather her emotions, biting her lip to keep her stinging eyes from overflowing. "Thank you."

Tamaki smiled softly and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her against him comfortingly. "It's no problem, Haruhi." He ran a hand through her short brown hair. "It'll help your studies, right? Plus if things get too loud for you, you can retreat here and have a quiet moment to yourself. I know sometimes I can be loud… and not make much sense." He flushed again as he talked, his voice getting a bit higher in his embarrassment. "I know I may seem like an entirely different person sometimes… but…" He looked back down at her to see her smiling softly up to him.

"I know, don't worry about that. I'm the same way." Haruhi gave him her best smile through her tears so that he smiled back with a soft chuckle.

"We're two of a kind, huh?" He hugged her tighter, looking around the room sadly for a moment. "Haruhi." He brought her out of her arms so he could lean down to look at her with a suddenly solemn expression. "After Éclair left, I found out-"

"I know. I kind of figured this was coming at some point." Haruhi said sadly, and took a deep shaky breath. "You have to go find your mother."

Tamaki smiled warmly, holding his hand against her face and looking into her eyes with a grateful smile that she understood him so well. "I'll be back, I promise. I just… I have to do this."

Haruhi hesitated for a moment before putting her hand over his, holding it more firmly against her cheek. Tamaki's flush deepened at the unexpected touch and he suddenly looked uneasy again. "You'd better come back, or I'll hunt you down again." Haruhi said in a teasing tone, but looked up at him with sad eyes.

Tamaki chuckled in amusement and nodded. "I know you will, crazy woman." He ruffled her hair playfully before leaning down and looking her in the eyes again. "I'll call you- you still have the cell phone I got you?"

Haruhi nodded, patting her pocket to make sure it was still there.

"We'll stay in touch. Don't go eloping with anyone while I'm off, okay? And…" He hesitated for a minute. "Take care of Kyoya. He may not say it, but he needs the company."

"I'll stay right where I am and I'll take care of everyone, so don't worry. Just find your mother and hurry home." She looked up at him nervously, biting her lip as emotions rose in her, Tamaki's face so close to her own she could feel his warmth, his vanilla-scented breath against her cheeks.

She closed her eyes to gather her courage before grabbing him by the cuff and pulling him further down to kiss him passionately, Tamaki making a noise of surprise before wrapping his arms around her and returning the kiss, tightening his embrace.

They both broke the kiss with gasping breaths and red faces, staring at each other for a moment in shock that that had actually happened.

"Y-you-" Tamaki gasped in shock, bringing a hand up to his mouth in his surprise.

"Yeah, I did." Haruhi said through gasps.

"D-does that mean…?" He looked down at her with wide eyes.

"Yeah it does." She grinned wryly.

Tamaki made a sound like a man in pain, wrapping his arms around her again and hoisting her off the ground for another kiss, twirling her happily before setting her back down. "I'll be back as soon as I can, Haruhi." He whispered, running his hand through her hair affectionately. "-and when I get back, we'll discuss this matter further." He said in a deep voice that made a shiver run up Haruhi's spine.

"R-right." Haruhi said, hardly recognizing the husky tone to her own voice. Ah, but this is what Tamaki did to her- he made her feel things she had never felt before.

"Alright princess." He said in his normal flamboyant manner, kneeling down to scoop her up into his arms, relishing the girly squeak of surprise she made as she clung to him. "Let's bring you home, and your prince will find what he's looking for, and return to give you your Happily Ever After."

Haruhi flushed at the idea, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning her head against his shoulder gently, content with letting Tamaki carry her from the building and back home.


	2. Chapter 2

Haruhi let out a long sigh, running her finger along the rim of the tea cup on the table in front of her. She glanced down to her cell phone on the table, like she had for nearly every 5 minutes since Tamaki left for Paris. She looked up to see both of the twins standing in front of her, their matching expressions of concern making her glance back down in embarrassment.

"Haruhi, are you alright?" Hikaru leaned down over the table, examining her carefully. "Is it because Tamaki's gone?"

"It is pretty quiet here with him gone." Kaoru looked around, as if uneasy about the silence.

"I'm just…" She glanced down at her phone again and let out another sigh.

Hikaru and Kaoru glanced at each other knowingly and nodded to each other. "Well Haruhi, we'll just have to distract you until he comes back." Kaoru grinned wryly, Hikaru leaning down next to him with the same grin.

"Yeah, what do you want to do? We'll take you anywhere- do anything." Hikaru added.

Haruhi put her head in her arms in frustration, letting out a low noise of annoyance. "I don't want to go anywhere or do anything."

The twins backed up in surprise, glancing to each other for what to do next, but neither of them had another idea.

"Haruhi-chan!" Honey said, looking up at her with wide eyes from beside her chair. Haruhi looked down at him and sat up when she saw Honey holding Usa up to her in an offering. "You can hold Usa if you want to. He always makes me feel better when I'm sad."

Haruhi bit her lip as the offering touched her, her eyes stinging with tears as she took the stuffed rabbit and held it against her in a hug. "Thank you, Honey."

Honey smiled happily and glanced over to the twins, who looked even more concerned than before.

"He'll be back, Haruhi." Kyoya said gently, setting a hand on her head reassuringly as he stood behind her chair. "Until then, we'll be here to support you. You can tell us whatever you'd like, you know that. If you want to talk about it, just let us know and we'll make time for you."

The twins, Honey and Mori all nodded in agreement.

"Now, why don't you go rest for a bit. The club doesn't start for a while, and I think it's best if you sit out until you feel better. I don't want one of the girls saying something to upset you." Kyoya offered her a hand to help her up, a small smile on his face.

Haruhi nodded and glanced to the others. "You're sure it's okay?"

"Just this once. But we'll stay after the club is over to make sure you're feeling better. Is your father home when the club is done?"

Haruhi shook her head sadly. "He won't be home until late at night."

"Then we'll head home with you to keep you company." Hikaru offered, Kaoru nodding beside him.

"Besides, we have to study for the finals- and since we're taking classes together, it might help to study as a group." Kaoru said thoughtfully, tapping a finger against his chin.

"That's true, I suppose." She sat up suddenly, a thought coming to her. "Wait- it'll be summer soon!"

"Well yes, just like normal schools, Ouron Academy releases for summer vacation." Kyoya explained.

"T-then the host club will release for summer vacation too, then?" Haruhi slid down in her chair uneasily.

Kyoya looked down at her in surprise, realizing she was right… they wouldn't be able to see her all summer, while Tamaki was gone for who knew how long. "Are you thinking of getting a summer job to pay for next year's textbooks?"

Haruhi flinched at the idea of how expensive the books were and let out a sigh of frustration. "I kind of have to, don't I?"

"Well how about you work for our businesses over summer, to make some extra money? It won't be part of your debt to the Host club, but we can at least help you out, and you'll get to spend time with each of us, as well." Kyoya looked to the twins who nodded with wide eyes at the idea.

"That's perfect! Our mother is looking for a new model for her dresses, and Haruhi would be perfect for the smaller sizes." Hikaru grinned.

Haruhi flinched at that, her arms covering her chest self consciously. "Gee, thanks."

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, some guys like the slim look like that." Kaoru smiled reassuringly.

"Yeah, like who?" Haruhi said bitterly.

"Like Tamaki." Kyoya looked down at her with a wide grin. "Come now, you've seen how much you make him blush."

Haruhi flushed at the idea that Tamaki really actually thought she was attractive, even with how slim she was. She didn't have any curves to her, which is why she could so easily pass for a boy. Though… after a few months of being in the Host club she'd had to start binding her breasts because they had started growing and would have given her away as a girl. Not that she wanted these guys to know that. "Y-yeah, I guess." She flushed even more at the thought of Tamaki even thinking about something like that with her.

Kyoya let out an amused chuckle at her bright blush, the twins both grinning knowingly. They all looked up as the door opened slightly, one of the school girls peeking in shyly. "Is the club starting yet?"

"You should get going." Kyoya offered her a hand to help her stand again, hoisting Haruhi easily to her feet. "Come back after the club is over, and the twins will escort you home."

Haruhi nodded, looking to the ground sadly as she picked up her phone and stuffed it in her pocket. She wasn't looking forward to spending time alone with her thoughts of missing Tamaki so much. She kept thinking of all the good times she'd had with him, especially that kiss…

She flushed at the thought, trying to hide her red cheeks from the others as she walked across the room and opened the door to leave, only to run into a large group of girls waiting to get into the Club. They all gasped when they saw her, noticing her misty eyes and red cheeks. Haruhi made a sound of shock at their wide eyes as they stared at her, deciding to make a break for it and run down the hall, hoping none of them followed.

She didn't stop until she had gotten to her study, opening the door and slamming it closed, locking it quickly. She leaned against the rich wood, letting out a deep sigh of relief that she had gotten here without anyone interfering.

She walked slowly over to the large Victorian style couch, sitting down and looking at the bookshelves around her. She took out one of the travel books, one based on France and flipped through the pages to Paris. She looked through the pictures of The Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, and all that beautiful looking French cuisine. She wished… she could have gone with him. But that was silly, and impossible. She couldn't afford to fly to Paris, and she couldn't risk missing her final exams. Tamaki could probably make them up because he was deceptively intelligent, but… she had to study hard.

She froze when her cell phone started blaring a song, _Dizzy_ by _Goo Goo Dolls._ Haruhi listened to the lyrics for a minute, her cheeks flushing brightly at the screen as it said 'Tamaki'. Wait… Tamaki had given her this phone, so he must have put this ring tone as the one that would sound when he called! It was so…

She shivered at a few of the lyrics as it matched up to their relationship, but suggested so much more. She flipped open the phone, putting it up to her ear as her heart pounded. "H-hello?"

"Haruhi." Tamaki said in a breathless voice that made her stomach make a funny flip. "I miss you."

Haruhi bit her lip as emotions welled in her again, threatening to make her cry. "I missed you too." She said in a wavering voice. She missed him so much more than she ever would have realized. Without him around, things seemed gray and dull. She hadn't realized she'd gotten so used to his loud rants, his silly motions and constant flirting. It was almost like he was a part of her now. A part that she never wanted to let go.

**To see why Haruhi thought the song suggested more, I'd recommend listening to the song Tamaki put as his ringtone. Sneaky devil that he is.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Please note that this chapter is the reason this story is rated M. There are many more to come, too... since Tamaki found Haruhi's weakness (oh dear).**

Haruhi held the phone up to her ear, hearing Tamaki's sound of surprise on the other side. "Haruhi are you… crying?"

Haruhi shook her head, forgetting that he couldn't see any motions she made. "N-no."

"Liar." He said in an amused tone, letting out a soft sigh. "I never meant to hurt you so badly, Haruhi. I'm sorry."

Haruhi bit her lip to hold back her emotions and calm down, taking a deep breath and feeling much more calm. "It's… it's fine. I just didn't quite realize what it would be like without you here."

"So you miss me that much, hmm? Can't say I blame you." He said with a chuckle, then seemed to pause for a moment. "D-do you remember what happened before I left?"

Haruhi blushed red at the memory of the kiss, her insides twisting with warmth at the idea. "Yeah… I haven't been able to stop thinking about it."

"Me either." Tamaki said in a breathless tone that made Haruhi feel a bit faint. "I know I flirt all the time with girls, but… with you it's so different. Everything is… so much more vivid, more real. I'm still annoyed I didn't get your first kiss, though."

"I think we can count that as the first instead of Kanako." Haruhi chuckled. "It was certainly more…" She flushed at the word she was going to use to describe it, but couldn't say it aloud.

"Arousing?" Takami offered in a husky tone. "I can't help but agree."

Haruhi made a small sound of shock, feeling her entire body flush red.

"You're blushing, aren't you?" Tamaki continued in the same tone, making Haruhi shiver, warmth spreading through her. This was so much more different than he was with any other woman. He always just agreed with the guests, saying whatever they wanted to hear… but he told her what was really on his mind.

"I can't wait to get back and hold you in my arms again. I know you have to pretend to be a boy still, but I know you have a feminine side that you don't like others to see."

Haruhi let out a small noise of surprise that he was exactly correct… and she couldn't help but imagine the warmth of his arms around her again. Her breath hitched at the thought.

"Do you know why I like to see you in dresses? Because when you look at me when you're dressed like that… it makes the whole world stop. I can't think of anything but you."

"Are you sure this isn't another one of your lines you use?" Haruhi said, her voice airy with the thought of his words being true.

"I'd never use a line on you, Haruhi. You deserve more than that. Anything I say to you is the truth." Tamaki said softly.

Haruhi flushed again, nodding gently. "The same with me." Haruhi replied, not really knowing what else to say.

Tamaki sighed wistfully. "I wish I could see the flush on your face, Haruhi. You know, I love making you blush. I could do so much more than that, but I'm not sure if we're ready for that quite yet. Our relationship means a lot to me… so I want to take it slow and make sure you're comfortable."

Haruhi could feel her breath quicken at the idea of him doing more to her, golden hair moving across her skin as he kissed her neck, the image making her gasp. "Things l-like what?" She asked shyly.

"So much." Tamaki said, a smile in his voice. "I'm a French man after all, and the French are all about love. To feel your heated skin against my hands, hearing you gasp and make little noises of pleasure."

Haruhi couldn't help but let out a small noise, the sound of her voice so provocative it made her flush even more. She had never made a sound like that before.

"Just like that." Tamaki said, his own breath quickening. "running my fingers along your skin, leaving goosebumps behind and making you writhe in pleasure. I'd take my time with you, Haruhi. Make you sigh and moan, until you start to feel faint with need."

Haruhi felt pinpricks against her skin as if she could already feel his hands on her, the feeling making her stomach coil with a strange warmth she hadn't felt before. She let out a small gasp, feeling dizzy with the warmth running through her so that she laid back on the couch, still listening. She had never heard anything like this before… Tamaki was usually so polite, to hear such dirty words from him was shocking and incredibly arousing.

"Then after I've run my hands over every inch of your body, I'd torture you with my mouth. Licking and sucking your skin until you groan in pleasure." He let out a sound of arousal that made her shudder. "I want you to groan my name, to know who's giving you such pleasure and loving you. Then when you're just on the brink of that chasm of pleasure I'd hurl you off and watch you quake and yell in ecstasy."

Haruhi let out a lustful moan, unable to help herself anymore as she squirmed on the couch. The images in her mind of them doing that together, of him touching her, licking her and doing such arousing things… She could feel that coil tighten in her, her breath hitching and coming in gasps.

"After you come down from the peak and you're thrumming with pleasure I'd take you- soft and gentle, showing my love for you. I'd worship your body, making you come to that peak again and again-" He let out a low moan of his own, telling Haruhi that this was turning him on as much as it was for her. The thought just made it that much more wild and naughty, the image complete with his noise of arousal sending her off some edge, pleasure radiating through her so that she let out a hoarse cry, her entire body tensing as her blood seemed to boil, her senses going blank as the pleasure overcame her.

She heard similar noises on the other side of the phone, Tamaki gasping and groaning until finally he panted for breath, both of them silent for a bit.

Haruhi let out a soft noise of pleasure as remnant waves still ran through her sensitive body, making Tamaki's breath hitch on the phone.  
"God I love that noise." He said in a husky voice. "I hope that was as good for you as it was for me, Haruhi." He said breathlessly, still panting.

"Y-yes it was." Haruhi said, hardly able to recognize her own voice with how sultry it sounded.

Tamaki let out a low noise, as if in pain. "Your voice… God I wish I was there right now."

"Me too." Haruhi said weakly, her arms and legs feeling heavy.

Tamaki let out a soft sigh. "I won't be too much longer. I've found out she's in a hospital, now it's just a matter of finding which one."

Haruhi paused, her foggy mind suddenly clearing. "Why is your mother in a hospital? Is she okay?"

"My mother's always been sick." Tamaki said sadly. "She has Lupus, so with the medicine she has to take she gets sick really easily. People are saying it's bad this time…" He trailed off, the sadness in his voice making Haruhi's heart twist painfully.

"I'm sorry, Tamaki." Haruhi said softly.

"It's alright, it's just how fate has dealt the cards." He let out another sigh before cheering up. "But I will say… this phone call has been… enlightening." He said with a wry tone, and Haruhi could practically hear the wry smile that must be on his face.

"Y-yes I suppose so." She stammered in embarrassment.

"I'll have to remember that you like dirty talking when I come back. I can't wait to whisper something in your ear and watch you blush in front of the others." He chuckled mischievously.

"You idiot, don't do that!" Haruhi shouted in protest. She didn't want to give the others an idea of what had happened over the phone. God, she had come from nothing but his words… was that normal?

"I'm teasing, Haruhi. That blush isn't for anyone but me to see." He said softly, and let out a soft sigh. "I suppose it's time for me to go. I have a meeting with one of the doctors in the hospitals this morning."

Haruhi looked over at the clock and realized that Paris was nearly 8 hours behind Tokyo. While it was 5 pm for her, it was only 9 am for Tamaki. "Alright- good luck finding your mother." Haruhi said, unable to mask the sadness in her voice when she realized she wouldn't talk to him until he called again.

"Don't worry, my sweet." Tamaki said softly. "I'll call you again soon. Perhaps we can… discuss our relationship again."

Haruhi flushed at the idea, her worn body suddenly tingling with sensation. "I think I'd like that." She whispered softly.

"Until next time, Haruhi. Goodbye, and say hello to the others for me."

"I will- Goodbye, Tamaki." She said, looking down at the phone as his name blinked showing that he had hung up after her goodbye. She sighed, feeling as if something had gone unsaid. She looked up at the clock, realizing her phone call with Tamaki had lasted for so long it was almost time to head back to the music room.

But first a quick stop to the bathroom. She squirmed at the wetness between her legs, the feeling uncomfortable with pants on.


	4. Chapter 4

Haruhi walked home with the twins on either side of her, ignoring the looks girls were giving them at the group of cute 'boys' walking by. It still amazed her that people didn't realize she was a girl, but she didn't care enough to correct them about it.

"So, how was the phone call with Tamaki? I'm assuming since you seem happier that he called you." Hikaru looked down at Himaru curiously.

"Ah-" She flushed a bit at the memory of the phone call. "Yeah, he called. He says hello, and that he shouldn't be too much longer."

Kouru sighed and put his arms behind his head as he walked. "You know, I wish we could have gone with him. I haven't been to Paris for a couple years now, and I love the food there."

"Yeah, especially that little restaurant down town I hear they even have commoner restaurants like McDonalds now!" Hikaru grinned.

Haruhi stuck out her tongue at the mention of the restaurant. "Even among commoners that food isn't very good."

The twins looked down at her in surprise. "Really? We've never eaten there. What's it like?"

"It's got burgers, which are kind of like meat sandwiches." She made a motion of a sandwich in her hands. "They have lettuce and pickles, but it's not very well-made. They don't think much about their food when they make it."

Kaoru hummed thoughtfully, looking up to see Hikaru looking over his shoulder with a look of suspicion. "What is it, Hikaru?"

Hikaru looked back for a moment, his eyes scanning the area for a moment before turning back around to continue walking. "Nothing, I just thought I saw something."

Kaoru looked back as well, but shrugged. "No matter, let's get to Haruhi's apartment so we can start studying. From the way Hikaru's grades have been going we have no time to lose."

Hikaru flinched and glared at his brother. "You're one to talk, Kaoru. I saw that grade on your last test."

Kaoru flinched as well and they both laughed uneasily for a moment.

"So you're both failing?" Haruhi looked up at the both in frustration. "Then am I your tutor or something?"

The twins looked at each other wryly and each took one of Haruhi's arms in theirs. "Yes!" They both said happily. "Haruhi-sempai is our tutor, teach us well!"

Haruhi sighed, wondering if inviting them over was a good idea.

Haruhi sighed as she closed the book in front of her, her stomach growling loudly in protest that she hadn't eaten dinner yet. "We should probably get something to eat. I haven't had a chance to get groceries yet this week, so we'll have to go out to eat."

Hikaru and Kaoru looked at each other with wide eyes then back down to Haruhi. "So where do you want to go? Let's go to Haruhi's favorite restaurant."

Haruhi hesitated for a minute, her shoulders slouching. "I meant the supermarket. I can't… afford to eat at a restaurant this week."

"Then we'll pay. We are your students after all, so think of this as payment for teaching us." Kaoru smiled.

"Yeah, I've learned a lot with the tricks you taught us to remember things. So we'll take you out to eat." Hikaru added.

Haruhi thought for a moment before shrugging. "Alright, when you put it that way it doesn't sound so bad. Alright, there's a really good sushi shop down the road that my friend runs. We were going to go to it last time, but Honey wanted me to cook instead. We can go this time."

"Sushi shop?" Kaoru said in surprise. "You like sushi that much, Haruhi?"

"Are you kidding?" Haruhi laughed. "There's nothing better than sashimi! Come on, I haven't eaten out in a long time." She said excitedly, grabbing both twins' hands and leading them toward the door.

Kaoru laughed in amusement while Hikaru smiled warmly, following after her.

Haruhi looked around the sushi restaurant, the small conveyer belt in the middle of the room rotating plates of sushi around the counters surrounding it. Haruhi brought the twins over to three empty seats, sitting in the middle with the twins on either side.

"So what are we supposed to do?" Kouru looked at the sushi curiously as it rolled by on the conveyer belt.

"You just pick it up, and they keep a tab of what you've eaten- so you have to be careful not to eat too much." Haruhi said, looking at the sushi around her with excitement. She put her hand out to grab one, only to hesitate it and wait, repeating for each one that passed until the entire belt had rotated and she started over.

"Just pick one!" Kaoru laughed at her, picking one off the belt and a pair of chopsticks.

Haruhi grabbed a tuna sampler, looking at it with wide eyes before smiling to Kaoru and Hikaru. "Thanks guys." She said happily before using chopsticks and putting a tuna sushi into her mouth, humming happily at the taste as she closed her eyes to savor the flavor.

Hikaru chuckled and got a spicy tray, starting to eat it before his eyes widened in surprise. "This isn't half bad, actually."

"Yeah, I wasn't expecting this to be this good, no wonder Haruhi likes it so much." Kaoru said around a mouthful of sushi.

Haruhi stuck her tongue out at them teasingly. "I have good taste, you know. Just because I haven't had all the fancy food you have doesn't mean I don't know what's good and what's not."

The twins laughed and continued eating sushi, Kaoru glancing over Haruhi's shoulder to catch his twin's eye. Hikaru looked back and nodded, realizing what his twin was thinking. Haruhi was distracted by their teasing… and though Hikaru still liked Haruhi in a romantic sense… he preferred seeing her happy even if he had lost her to Tamaki.

Hikaru glanced down at the table sadly, glad he had his brother to understand him so well, when he felt so alone and dejected.

They watched Haruhi enjoy her sushi, wondering how she could look so happy after she had looked so lonely earlier. Was that smile she always wore just a mask to hide the pain she was going through? It was an awful thought, depending on how much she smiled. Maybe she was a lot like Tamaki after all.

After they had eaten dinner, the twins brough Haruhi back to her apartment and played board games until her father arrived home. They left with goodbyes to Haruhi, walking out onto the front walk outside her house and calling a limo. They waited for the car to come, looking at the setting sun in the distance and Hikaru sighed in frustration.

"You know, I hate seeing her like this, but there's nothing I can do to help." He said, glancing to Kaoru uneasily.

"I think we are helping, Hikaru. We just have to be there for her when she needs us. I know it's painful, but… at least she'll be happy with Tamaki, right?" Kaoru smiled reassuringly to his brother.

Hikaru snorted in disdain. "No idea what she sees in him that appeals her so much." He muttered.

"Oh come on." Kaoru crossed his arms in front of his chest with a grin. "Probably the same thing that convinced us to join the Host Club."

Hikaru thought about that for a moment and nodded with a long, exhausted sigh. "Yeah… I suppose so."

"Don't be so sad, it's not like Haruhi will be the only girl you'll meet. There are plenty of girls out there." Kaoru set a hand on Hikaru's shoulder.

"Yeah, girls that will see us as Hikaru and Kaoru, instead of the Hitachiin twins?" Hikaru gave Kaoru a meaningful look.

Kaoru looked down sadly, getting the point. "There must be someone else, Hikaru. Someone who will understand."

"Maybe." Hikaru said doubtfully, looking up as the limo rolled up and stopped in front of them. Hikaru opened the door and let Kaoru in first, getting in himself and closing the door in a practiced move that told they had coordinated like that for most of their lives.

"I can't help but think things might have been different somehow." Hikaru muttered. "If Tamaki hadn't realized his feelings for her were more than that stupid 'daddy' thing."

Kaoru glanced at Hikaru thoughtfully and shrugged. "What's done is done. There's no use dwelling on it, so just try to move forward."

Hikaru looked out the shaded window in frustration, watching the apartments and houses roll by as they made their way back to their mansion. That was easy to Kaoru to say… he didn't feel like his heart had been ripped out.

**Things look pretty complacent, right? Well if you guys know me, get ready for some action and suspense soon :P Hope you're enjoying it so far, I'll add another chapter after I get a few reviews *hehe holding the story hostage***


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